- Dates
- 23 October to 21 November
- Symbol
- ♏ the Scorpion
- Element
- Water
- Modality
- Fixed
- Ruler
- Mars (and, in modern astrology, Pluto)
What the Scorpio sign means
Scorpio, the Scorpion, is the eighth sign of the zodiac and the archetype of the alchemist: water by element, fixed by mode, and ruled by Mars (and, in modern astrology, Pluto). In astrology, someone is "a Scorpio" when the Sun was in Scorpio at their birth, roughly 23 October to 21 November. Those cusp dates shift by a day some years, so if you were born near the edge, only your actual chart settles it.
The Scorpio temperament
Water signs run on feeling, memory, and an instinct for what runs beneath the surface. As a fixed sign, it sustains: it holds its ground and sees things through. Put together, Scorpio tends towards depth that will not settle for the surface, drawn to what others look away from, and like every sign it holds both a gift and its shadow. Vela reads none of this as a verdict on who you are, only as a lens for noticing.
If Scorpio is your Sun sign, where do you recognise the alchemist in yourself, and where is it a costume you have outgrown?
Read Scorpio in depth
Your sign is one of three placements that matter most. Read Scorpio as a Sun sign, your Scorpio Moon, and your Scorpio rising, see the personal planets in Scorpio (Venus, Mars), read today's Scorpio horoscope, or explore Scorpio compatibility.
Frequently asked
What are the Scorpio dates?
The Sun is in Scorpio from about 23 October to 21 November each year. The cusp dates move by a day some years, so if you were born near the edge, casting your chart is the only way to be sure.
What element and ruler is Scorpio?
Scorpio is water by element and fixed by mode, ruled by Mars.
Is astrology a prediction?
Not in Vela's hands. Your sign is a lens for reflection, a way of noticing patterns in yourself, never a forecast of what you must do or become.